Jonathan Edwards and the Psalms

Throughout church history, the book of Psalms has enjoyed wider use and acclaim than almost any other book of the Bible. Early Christians extolled it for its fullness of Christian doctrine, monks memorized and recited it daily, lay people have prayed its words as their own, and churches have sung from it as their premier hymn book. While the past half century has seen an extraordinary resurgence of interest in the thought of American theologian Jonathan Edwards,including his writings on the Bible, no scholar has yet explored his meditations on the Psalms. David P. Barshinger addresses this gap by providing a close study of his engagement with one of the Bibles most revered books. From his youth to the final days of his presidency at the College of New Jersey, Edwards was a devout student of Scriptureas more than 1,200 extant sermons, theological treatises, and thousands of personal manuscript pages devoted to biblical reflection bear witness. Using some of his writings that have previously received little to no attention, Jonathan Edwards and the Psalms offers insights on his theological engagement with the Psalms in the context of interpretation, worship, andpreaching. Barshinger shows that he appropriated the history of redemption as an organizing theological framework within which to engage the Psalms specifically, and the Bible as a whole. This original study greatly advances Edwards scholarship, shedding new and welcome light on the theologians relationshipto Scripture.

Barshinger attentively and convincingly carries his thesis throughout this study and offers a symmetrical view of Edwards. His book is an exemplary model for intellectual historians who wish to pursue the pioneering enterprise of constructing histories of exegesis., If you are interested in preaching or the theology of Jonathan Edwards, biblical exegesis or the Psalms, then this book will interest you. It is well researched and well writtenit is a worthy and valuable contribution for the Christian church., Overall, a superb book. Barshinger deserves high praise for this production. A brilliant read and an excellent gift., While studies of Jonathan Edwards continue to be produced at a dizzying rate, most books continue to plow the same ground. Not so David Barshinger's Jonathan Edwards and the Psalms. Focusing on Edwards the exegete and redemptive-historical theologian, Barshinger demonstrates not simply the impact the Psalter made on Edwards personally or on his theological development. He does more: he points Edwards studies in a new direction, namely the fertile fields of Edwards' biblical studies and hermeneutics., Historically, theologically, and exegetically informed, this in-depth and nuanced study demonstrates persuasively the importance of Edwards' engagement with the Psalter, and its relevance to his exegesis, preaching and worship.

David P. Barshinger has a PhD in Church History/Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). He has thought as an adjunct professor at various institutions, and he previously served as Senior Fellow of Jonathan Edwards Center at TEDS.